


A Phoenix in the Land of Fire

by Lees_Beings



Category: Naruto
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Hatake Kakashi-centric, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:54:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23644966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lees_Beings/pseuds/Lees_Beings
Summary: Phoenix upon failing to make friends in one dimension, she heads to another to wait out her time before heading back home. When she arrives she comes across a scene that peaks her interest.This fic is part of a much bigger world which the fic will mention. So to avoid confusion please read author’s notes. ALSO, my OC will NOT be shipped with any of the characters from the anime.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi & Namikaze Minato, Hatake Kakashi & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	1. Phoenix

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first fic in this fandom. Please be understanding if I make mistakes though I will appreciate constructive criticism. 
> 
> Phoenix backstory will be explain in the fic but just to clear things up about her. She isn’t an easy person to get along with and she will bash on certain characters. (Though, there won’t be any actual character bashing. Phoenix’s opinions don’t reflect my own)
> 
> She has curly ginger hair that she usually has in a ponytail and has pale skin with freckles. Her eyes are brown and can glow an orange color (more on that later).

Well I tried befriending them but that failed spectacularly. They just can't get over the fact that they’re so weak. Well I guess some people just can’t handle the truth. I guess I'll just hang around this place until my time runs out. It seems interesting enough to entertain me, especially with this war going on.

_Click, Click!_

_‘Huh, seems there’s a fight nearby, maybe I should check it out?’_

Probably some ninjas fighting it out. I can feel the smile forming on my face. I stop by a tree trying to get a good look at the fight. I could get closer and use my illusions to hide though. . . _‘Yeah imma do that.’_

Though I get that this is a war I was not expecting to see a child fight against a group of ninja twice his size. He seems pretty beaten up too, he can't be older than 10 though, the little terp is wearing a mask covering the lower part of his face and has striking silver hair and his headband was covering one of his eyes. Mmmm. I don’t like this. I probably should interve-

I move before I know what I’m doing but luckily, I notice it just in time. The kid seemed to slow down just for a second but that was enough for one of them to get the drop on him. I manage to slash the man’s throat before the others can react and on pure trained instinct I kill the other three. I look at what I’ve done, _‘Eh, there’s a war going on. I get a bit of leeway’_

Soon I feel the presence of the kid, _‘Ha, he’s trying to kill me. Cute.’_

I easily block his attack and before he can try again I pull rope out of my B-pockets* and tie him up on a nearby tree with it. He struggles against it but he’s too weak to break out of it. _‘How long have you been fighting, kid?’_ He looks at me in alarmed _‘Oops, didn’t mean to communicate* that with him’_

“Sorry kid, didn’t mean to invade your mind like that. Please forgive my rudeness”, I give him a bow in apology. He gives me a weird look.

“Look kid, I was just cruisin’ by when I came upon you and those men. Do you mind telling me how someone as young as you is fighting in a war, Mm?”

He doesn’t respond. In fact he looks more tense than before. I make a motion that makes me seem like I just came up with a great idea, that makes him all the more tense.

“Listen kid, I’m not big on hurting children so don’t worry I’m not gonna hurt you. Though I can understand the confusion since I did tie you up after killing four men buuuuuut, I can try to heal your wounds though it might feel a little bit weird, I just barely learned how to do it. Not much of heal-ly type of person, if you get what I mean.”

I give him one of big smiles that usually creeps people out. He doesn’t really seem disturbed by it, kudos to him.

I get closer and he starts to fight against the rope again. When I put my hands on his shoulders he stops moving but is incredibly tense. His eyes are filled with an intense determination as if preparing himself for the pain not backing down, not wanting to show weakness to a potential enemy. _‘I hate that look, he’s too young to have already learned that look’_

He must have seen the anger on my face and started to struggle again to try and knock my hands off of him, I just tighten my grip and closed my eyes, _'Remember what the Queen taught you, heal, transfer, and dull'_

I take a deep breath and start the process. The kid stops struggling and then stills. I let a small smile show on my face, _'Bet he wasn't expecting it to tickle'_

Soon enough I feel pain appear on various parts of my body. Cuts, buries, and even a broken rib. Grrr, I couldn't help it, a growl escapes my mouth just before I could stop it, who the fuck allowed him on the battlefield. Once I feel no new pain appear on my body I let go of him and open my eyes. The kid had a weird look on his face.

"What?" I ask him, "don't I at least get a 'thank you' from you."

Suddenly my illusion gets dispelled by someone with a small weapon. _'A kunai'_ I note. Then a man with yellow hair appears, he's wearing the same headband as the kid, at least he's an ally or else I'd be forced to kill him though it was interesting that I didn't sense him, guess healing takes more than I thought. His killing intent is out like a warning.

_'He's powerful. Man! I wish I could fight him, he seems like fun, heh'_

I can feel my usual smile return and my eyes glowing. I tighten my grip on the tree that I'm on. I feel the adrenaline rush through my veins. My breath quickens as my excitement takes over me. I feel myself start to shake. Oh, how I wish to show him my killing intent, too bad the kid's here.

Seeming that he can't sense me, he relaxes a little bit and turns to the kid.

"Kakashi", _'So that's the kids' name'_ , "you can just run off still injured, you may not feel it but it does take a toll on your body, something that you don't have much of."

I snicker at the kid's annoyed look.

"Who was that woman just now? I didn't notice a headband and I don't recognize the jutsu she used. It didn't seem like genjutsu but it also wasn't a replacement technique. Did she hurt you?"

The kid looked at the trees near me.

"She healed me,'' was his response. The man showed shock overcome his face then contemplation. He moved closer to the kid and started checking his body for wounds and when he didn't find any he looked befouled.

"Seems like she did," he paused for a moment, "did she speak to you?" The kid nodded.

The man let out a sign. "We'll discuss it back at the village, now come on."

And just like that they disappear into a direction. I stare at where they headed. _'That man must know that the kid fights. I also don't like the fact the kid seems to fight so recklessly. It's bad enough that that kid seems more like a weapon. Mmm. . . Well might as well follow them, not that I have anything else to do.'_


	2. Phoenix Does Some Research

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure I got Kakashi's age wrong in the sense that certain events happen when a little older than 10 but I already have the story plan out and I'm not going to change it.

I actually decide to explore around the village. It’s a quaint place, nothing much going on besides the war. I’ll probably actually look for the kid tomorrow. Seems to me he’ll be busy talking to the blonde guy and I don’t really like him.

How can he let the kid fight, he’s way too young, maybe I should investigate the village, there’s clearly some stuff I’m missing. Best place to look would be the library though best bet would be the private records but I don’t really feel like causing political trouble. It’s always ends up messier than an actual battlefield.

The library is pretty empty when I get there. Which I guess makes sense, nobody has time to read with what is going on. Though I do find out about some pretty interesting stuff while at the same time I realise how dumb I am. This place is like the original dimension of my Prince*. Gosh, why didn’t I figure it out sooner. Fortunately no one was around to notice. I’ll get my ass kicked by Grim* if she ever found out.

I spend the rest of my time in the library reading up on information about the village and even the jutsus they used. There's even some stuff about the clans that live here though most of the information on them superficial and utterly boring. These books are making the clans seem weak, hopefully they are a lot stronger than describe. It's probably around five in the morning when I decide that I’ve learned enough.

Guess there's no better time to go looking for the kid. It pretty early and the kid would be asleep. Which would make finding him easier since he would be in one place. I quickly place an illusion around me essentially making myself invisible. And I set out to look for the kid's soul. The kid's soul ain't nothing special save for the fact that it's kinda dim. The idea of it makes me frown.

It takes me two hours, TWO WHOLE HOURS, before I find him. Like I predicted he's asleep though by the looks of it not for long. I stand outside his apartment door. The doors and windows are rigged with traps _'Paranoid much, kid'_

I smirk at his work. They're actually not bad, anyone would have a hard time disarming them. But I wasn’t trained by the most powerful people in the universe* just to be stopped by a couple of traps. I manage to undo the ones placed on a window near the door just as the kid walks out of his room. With my illusion still active he doesn't see me.

He goes to the kitchen and I decide to place an illusion of me behind him in the living. _'Well, here goes nothing_ '

"Nice place you got here kid!"

He immediately turns around just as he throws a kunai at the illusion. He has another one ready to attack me but stops as my illusion dispelled as it gets hit. He's breathing heavily as he looks around his apartment. I make another illusion appear only for the kid to get rid of it the moment he notices it. _'How annoying'_

The kid is still pretty alarmed and is prepared to fight me. His killing intent is strong. Strong enough for some other ninja to sense it. _'That's pretty smart of him, though I don't like that it implies that the kid had to learn that trick or that fact that he even has one'_

Have another illusion of me appear and this time when he throws a kunai at it, it doesn't disappear.

"Look kid, I'm trying to have a conversation with you. You getting rid of my illusions before I can talk isn't beneficial to the both of us. How about you losing the killing intent and I will tell why I'm here, Mmm?"

I highly doubt he'll listen to me so I add in, "If anybody else shows up here I'll kill them just as easily as killed those men in the woods."

And just for added effect I have my eyes glow as I make my voice sound threatening enough. It's not really a lie but I would kill anybody that came here _if_ they attack me but I wouldn't let things go that far.

It’s enough for the kid though, to shut down the killing intent but he still has a weapon in hand. Which, fair.

"What do you want?"

"So he speaks!"

He glares at me. I just smirk in response.

"I just want my question answered." He looks at me confused so I repeat the question I asked him when we first met.

"Why are you fighting in a war? You're far too young.” The kid's face goes from confused to annoyed. It seems like he's trying to figure out if I'm playing with him but my illusion copies my honest express. I even sit down as I wait for my answer.

"You. . . you can't be serious," he pauses, "but you are, aren't you?"

I nod my head.

"That just a stupid question!"

"It is not! It's a perfectly reasonable question when one sees a child fight in a war."

"I'm a shinobi" ' _Shinobi!?! Like the Infamous Six* Shinobi? Huh, guess that answers where he's from'_

"That's not a good reason. In fact, that makes it even worse! Who the **hell** thought it would be a good idea for a kid like you to become a shinobi?!"

The kid looks offended.

"I-“

“I swear to existence kid if you start listing off things you’ve done as a shinobi, I’ll lose my cool.”

He stays quiet. I look at him, he seems really uncomfortable and tense. I let out a sigh.

“How about the blonde guy who is he to you?”

He seems even more uncomfortable with that question. Guess the two of those must close then. I would be uncomfortable if some stranger asked me about my important people too.

“Eh, whatever, don’t answer that, I don’t care about him anyways.”

“How did you get in here?”

I give him a smirk, “Listen kid I don’t want to burst your bubble or anything but those traps were amunter hour, at least to me they were.”

“My name is Kakashi, not kid.”

I grinned at him, “Well, _Kakashi_ how about we have ourselves a truce. I have no intention of harming anyone in this village and I only killed those men because if I didn’t they would have killed you and I’m not one to see a kid be killed even if they are a shinobi.”

“I had it under control.”

“Bullshit.”

He's taken back by my quick response. I feel my rage bubbling under my skin. I have my illusion stand up.

“Whoever! Thought to allow you to even fight in a war, should have some fuckin' sense knocked into them. Who in their right mind would send a child, let alone train one to kill, to war!”

I feel my eyes glow, _‘I need to calm down. I can’t lose my cool, especially in front of the kid- Kakashi. It’s not his fault, he doesn’t deserve my anger’_

“Sorry Kakashi, didn’t mean to yell at you. But this really pisses me off. *sigh* Guess I'll go. I got my question answered so I really don’t see a reason to stick around”

“Wait, I can’t let you roam around the village. I have to take you in or at least report that you showed up at my apartment.”

I give it a thought and nearly laugh at the image of little Kakashi taking me in, “True but if you do that then I’ll just disappear and trust me, you won't be able to find me unless I want you to. And you won’t get anymore information out of me. Like how I entered your village without anyone noticing and how easily I could sneak in anywhere I want. But if you keep this between us then I promise to show up every morning here and tell you a secret of mine in exchange for one of yours, of equal value, of course.”

He seems to think about it. Probably out weighing the pros and cons. If he agrees, he’s essentially betraying his village. _‘Sorry Kakashi, but your village shouldn’t have turned you into a soldier so soon. Really, this is their fault. ’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix is part of a team of four. Grim* is the leader as well as the one who decide Phoenix hangs out with, for safety purposes.
> 
> Prince*, there's a character from Naruto that got adopted by the family that Phoenix works for. But that character is from a different version of Naruto, another AU if you will.
> 
> Mystica and Royal, are two OCs of mine that Phoenix refers to as the most powerful people in the universe*. Phoenix works for them completing missions through dimensions, solo or with her team. They won't become relevant to the story until later on so I'll do a proper explanation when they play a more active role in the story.
> 
> The Infamous Six* are another team that work for Mystica and Royal. They're widely known to be the most powerful group. They also wear a mask to hide their identities. And another character from Naruto (different version) is part of the group. They won't really be mentioned again besides maybe Phoenix fangirling about them.


	3. Why me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really like how this chapter turned out. Don't get me wrong it's not bad but I feel I could have done better.
> 
> I should also mention that this story will switch POV between Kakashi and my character. And maybe even some POV of other characters (but mostly Kakashi and my OC).
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy it!

The last time I saw this woman she tied me to a tree and healed my wounds. But when she killed those men, the look on her face. It looked like she enjoyed it. 

And now I'm making a deal with her? In my apartment? Can't I have a normal day? 

"If I answered your question why would you want to stay in the village? You don't have a headband so that tells me you're either a rogue ninja or you're not from one of the main villages. So how would you benefit from being here or trading 'secrets' with me" 

She took a moment before she answered. 

"Oh! Absolutely nothing. I'm just trying to kill time before going back to where I'm supposed to be, which isn't here. I just pick this place at random. I don't actually care about what's going on in this village or outside of it."

What _.  _

She burst into laughter. 

"Gosh, I know this is hard to believe, especially in your profession, which I still have problems with by the way, but it's the truth. I gain absolutely nothing from talking to you. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm going to get in trouble for even being here. But honestly if I stayed in that place for any longer, I was going to  _ kill  _ someone. They were all so whiny and weak and no fun at all! So I decided to bounce and wander around." 

"And where are you supposed to be? And why are you risking getting caught here just to 'trade secrets' if it's not to any benefit to you? Because I'm pretty sure you can just hide out here without talking to anyone, with your unique abilities. Whatever they may be. They sure aren't any jutsus I've seen or heard of before."

Whatever it is they seem to work shadow clones with the way they disappear when being hit but the clone in front of me didn't disappear when the kunai hit it, all it did was frizzle before solidifying again. Not only that, but the way she talks is a bit unsettling and the orange glow her eyes gain when something angers her, makes her seem on edge. But if I agree, I would be compromising the village's safety though wouldn't it be more dangerous to let her wander around unchecked. If I agree at least I'll know where she'll be every morning and set up a trap. 

"Then how about that's the first secret I share with you. I tell you what my ability is and in exchange you tell me an interesting fact about yourself. That way we start off pretty easy with basic stuff. Does that sound good to you?"

Once she's done talking she has that face again, the one that gives off that unsettling feeling. Like she's planning on killing you. 'Guess the choice is easy. I'll find out more about her then set up a trap' 

"Deal", I extend my hand out. 

A panicked,  _ 'or it's more like horrified' _ , look crosses her face.  _ 'Huh, now what's wrong' _

"Whoa, easy ki- Kakashi, no need for that. How about we just promise to keep our end of the bargain, Mmm? Now I'll get in trouble for being here, as it is, if I make a deal with a minor I'll be punished severely for it. So how about it? I promise to come here every morning to exchange secrets with you and not wander around the village or cause any damage to anyone or anything in the village." 

_ ‘Why is making a deal with me worthy of punishment? I guess a promise is better then nothing.’ _

“Okay, then I promise to not turn you in and I will trade secrets with you.”

“Alright then! So you wanna know how I’m able to make these clones of myself. Well you see I have these special abilities I was born with that allows me to implant false memories into people sort of like mind control *  not only that but I’m able to trick the brain into seeing things that are not there. That’s what I’m currently doing right now, it's not that I’m creating a clone but more like I’m making your brain think I’m in front of you while at the same time having your brain ignore where I actually am. Basically anything that involves the brain I’m capable of doing.” 

“So like a telepath or a psychic?” 

Her eyes widened. 

“Uh, kind of? Listen even I don’t know the extent of my abilities, not like it matters to me anyways. What I do know has helped me so far. And don’t get me started on my K-ability * .” 

“What’s that?”

“Nuh uh, that’s another secret for another day.” 

Sounds like a kekkei genkai and a powerful one at that. Planting false memories and creating powerful illusions. Can the sharingan see through them? Does she need a base to create her illusion or just create them out of thin air? How far is her reach and how far can she fool the mind into believing her illusions? 

Laughter brings me out of my thoughts, “Sorry, it's just I can just sense you spiraling and trying to figure out my ability. Maybe in the future you’ll learn to ask more specific questions, just don’t forget you’ll have to give me something just as specific about you.” 

And there's also that. The last time I saw her I heard her voice in my head, something about projecting her thoughts without meaning too. Now she can 'sense' my thoughts. She's definitely capable of doing more than just illusions and not just that but the fact she was able to kill four shinobi in quick section tells me that I won't be able to beat her in a fight.

"Now Kakashi how about you tell me an interesting fact about yourself."

_ 'An interesting fact? What the hell do I tell her?'  _

"Well, um I know how to cook. Yea, living alone and all that. I had to teach myself how to cook and I think I'm pretty good at it." 

_ 'Not that I have everybody else to confirm that but it's something right?' _

"Taught himself how to cook." She seemed deep in thought. I don't think she meant to say that out loud and she looks annoyed. At least her eyes aren't glowing this time. 

"Well, I guess that's that. See you tomorrow morning." With that she stands up and sends me a smile, her illusion starts to disappear. 

"Wait! You didn't tell me your name."

"Oh, duh I could forget" she hits her head to empaish her point, "Name's Phoenix and it was a pleasure talking to ya."

And with that she's gone. Or at least I hope she is. I look around the room and see the window next to the door is open. I get closer to inspect it. The traps around it were taken off pretty easily. Guess I have to update my traps. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mind control* Phoenix can't actually control people but she can control their perception of things. As far as making people believe they've died making them pass out and eventually actually die.
> 
> K-ability* Phoenix is a part of a very special group of people. That have unique abilities tailor to fit their personality. I'll expand on it later on in the story.


	4. Kakashi think back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: This took awhile to write. I got writer's block at one point but I'll make sure to never take more than a month to update.
> 
> Also a friend of mine helped me edit this chapter and they have chosen to remain anonymous.

The conversation with Phoenix was on my mind for the rest of the day. Minato-sensei even asked me if everything was alright.

_ ‘Nothing is alright’ _

But I really couldn’t tell him that, now can I? But luckily, Minato-sensei was called for another mission so I got to avoid him pushing an answer out of me. He’s been over-protective since...

*sigh*

It doesn’t matter. I have to find a way to avoid his nagging and make sure he doesn’t come by in the mornings. Though, I’m sure Phoenix could hide herself, I don’t feel comfortable with her being in the same vicinity as Minato-sensei or anyone else. 

_ ‘Ugh, how am I going to set up a trap for someone that can seemingly read minds? I also have to find a way around her illusions. After all, how can I set up a trap if I don’t even know where she is?’  _

Maybe I can play with the fact that I’m a kid to my advantage. After all she seems pretty focused on it. I still don’t understand why that’s the thing that gets her so upset. She seems young too, probably in her 20s, and her physical prowess plus the level of control of her ability. Make it seem like she had to have started training young, maybe even younger than I did. It could also be that she was a child prodigy but I’ve never heard of a clan with her disposition. Definitely not from the main villages but she must have had training. There’s no way she’s achieved that strength alone, there’s discipline in her movements and she clearly acts with an authority figure in mind. 

There’s also the fact that she mentioned that she isn’t supposed to be here. And if she isn’t supposed to be here, then where is she supposed to be? Was she assigned to investigate another village. But if she is, then what is she doing here? She said it was because they were ‘weak’ and ‘whiny’ but even then, wouldn’t she have to see the mission through? Was she supposed to recruit them? Or infiltrate them? 

_ ‘I’m not going to come up with a plan with the little information that I’ve got. I have to think of a good question to ask her. Something that’s going to get her to accidentally reveal something else about herself.’  _

But then that would mean she would ask a similar question in return and I really don’t want to tell her anything about myself. Do I really have a choice though? If I really want to get as much information out of her then I have to accept that I'll have to do the same in return. 

As I try to think of questions to ask, my mind wanders back to the conversation I had with Minato-sensei after Phoenix healed me.   


* * *

“So, you mind telling me what the women in the forest told you?” Minato-sensei looks at me for an explanation. 

He’s worried but trying hard to hide it. I don’t know why but I’m hesitant to tell him about what the woman asked me. But I eventually tell him and it leaves a confused look on his face. 

“Well that’s strange. It shouldn’t be surprising to see young shinobi out in the field, at least not given the history of shinobi. Makes me wonder if in her village, things are done differently. Though, that still wouldn’t make sense. If she healed you that means she had to use healing jutsu. But you said that her hands didn't have the usual green glow that comes with the healing jutsu, Mmm.”

Then I remember her eyes. 

“Also, another thing is that her eyes would glow an orange color whenever she seems irritated.” 

“Glowing orange eyes, huh? Never heard of glowing eyes, especially orange ones. The only thing that comes to mind is maybe the sharingan but even then...”

My hand comes up to touch my covered eye. Noticing what he said, Minato-sensei looks at me with pity. 

“Well”, he says rather awkwardly. “I’ll go report to the Hokage-sama, see if he knows anything about shinobi like the woman you encountered. If we’re lucky, we won't see her again for a long time.”

* * *

Maybe if I ask her what type of shinobi she is, it will get her to reveal something about her village. After all, it's no secret that I’m a jounin, it’s just that most people get cocky because of age thinking they can beat me. That might probably get her angry and maybe cause her to reveal something else in her rage. Though I have to be careful not to anger her too much. The orange glow of her eyes is unsettling. 

I soon see my apartment come into view. As I walk up the stairs and am about to open my door, I pause and look at the window next to it. 

_ ‘This is where she exited, probably also where she entered my apartment.' _

I go inside and look for a pen and paper, then write,

‘knock and I’ll let you in’

I stick it to the window. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Who knows what this woman is truly after? I don’t believe her story of ‘being bored’, it just doesn’t make any sense. She’s receiving orders from someone, stating that she’ll get punished if she made a deal with a minor. Which apparently has a worse effect than disobeying an order, given by reaction when I suggested it. 

Just what kind of village did she come from? It doesn’t seem to be like any other, but a village that unique can’t go under the radar of the major villages. Can it? Especially if there are more shinobi like Phoenix in it? 

There’s no use in fretting over for now. Since I’ll be getting answers soon enough. It's just going to take asking the right questions without sacrificing much private information about myself and the village. Well, I should prepare something to eat and head to bed soon. Seeing as I’m going to have to start waking up early in the mornings before Phoenix arrives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also if anyone has a better suggestion as to how to show a flashback beside stating there's one like 'Flashback'. Or if the line divide is just fine. It would greatly be appreciated.


	5. Answers to Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was also edited by my friend.

I stare at the note on the window. 

*heh*

I can't help but laugh at it. Aw, he must be warming up to me.

_ ‘As if. Kakashi just doesn’t want me barging in and I gotta respect that’ _

Still, I can't help but shake my head at the note. It’s just too cute and ridiculous. Oh well, guess I have no choice. I proceed to knock on the window. Soon enough I see Kakashi's little face looking at me. He undoes the traps and opens it for me. As I get in, he steps away. I look around and notice that he must have prepared something for breakfast. 

“What? You didn’t make any for me?” 

I try to give him my best look of disappointment. He’s not impressed.

“Well, what a terrible host you are. You haven’t even asked me if I would like to take a seat.”

“Take a seat.”

“Eh, Kakashi that’s more of a statement than a question.”

He looks at me annoyed. I smile as he starts to lose his patience, but I do float over to his couch and lay on it. His surprised face is amusing to see. I should really get him to ease up more, maybe get him to not be so tense. Though, I get it. I’m a stranger, a potential enemy, hopefully I’m able to change his mind soon. 

“Go ahead and ask your question. Bet you thought long and hard about it. I’m curious to hear what you came up with.” 

I close my eyes as I wait. It’s quiet for a bit but eventually he blurts out,

“How are you so relaxed?”

I grin at the question. That’s clearly not what he wanted to ask, and when I look to see his irritated face, my suspicions are confirmed. I let out a laugh and sit up.

“Just because I'm a generous person, I'll answer that and let you ask your actual question. In return, you’ll have to answer two of my own.” 

“Fine. How are you so relaxed  _ and _ what kind of training did you go through?”

“Ooooo, that’s a good question.”

I sit there and think about it. Well, most of it was basic Killer training * and Royal Guard prep * . Which isn’t really a secret back home. But I can’t really get into detail about them, at least, not yet.

“Well, as to answer your first question, the reason why I’m so ‘relaxed’ is because I’m not really here. This is just an illusion. And to answer your second question, well, I was mainly trained in stamina, strength, and pain-resistance. Of course, I also trained with my ability and how far I can use it. Oh! And teamwork too. After all, I can't protect people all on my own.” 

There, that’s pretty generalized but it answers his question just fine. Should I give him another hint about asking more specific questions? Eh, if he doesn’t pick on it soon that’s on him. 

I get a good look at him as I wait for his response. He’s really thinking hard about my answers. 

_ ‘He really is just a child.” _

Why is he living alone? What happened to his family? And most importantly, whose eye do you have in you? Are they the one who dimmed your soul? 

I really don’t like this. I know I’m not supposed to intervene with the timeline *  but there must be something I can do. This kid’s hurting. I’ve seen where others like him end up. He might make it okay, but when have I ever left things to be ‘okay’? The fact that he’s so tense right now... Ugh, everyone’s going to attack him if he keeps that up. Though, I don’t know how they train their soldiers— or shinobi? Yea, that’s the more appropriate term. He’s been trained rather well. A little arrogant, yet precise.

“That’s a terrible answer.”

“Hey, it's not my fault you ask all the wrong questions! Besides whether or not it's a terrible answer, it is still an answer.”

He gives me a look and I just smile at him. I try to look as relaxed as possible, to see if he can take the hint, but he seems to stand up straighter and glares at me.

“Ask your questions.”

“My, so demanding. Oh well. How about you tell me”, pausing for dramatic effect, “how you are doing this fine morning?”

Kakashi looks at me like I’ve just grown a second head. I say nothing, simply waiting for his response. He seems to be deciding whether to actually answer my question or ask if I’m playing with him. 

“I’m... doing well.”

“Just well?”

“Yes. Nothing has really happened since I last saw you.”

“Mm, well then, now for my next question. Do you know of any good places to eat around here?”

Kakashi's disbelief is very clear on his face. Or should I say eye, since most of his face is covered? 

“Is that seriously your question?”

“Well, yeah. You live here so I’m guessin’ you know some good places to go and eat at.”

“How would you even pay? Aren’t you supposed to be hiding? Making sure no one sees you? After all, you look nothing like anyone in the village.”

“Well I would use my illusion to blend with the locals of course. Yesterday, I helped some old lady replace a broken window of hers and she gave me some money in return.” 

“How much did she give you?”

I show him the money and I’m pretty sure it's not a lot. Which is why I refused to take it in the first place but that lady really insisted and I didn’t have the heart to go against her wishes. 

“It’s not much, but you can get some ramen for it at Ichiraku’s. It’s a small place but it has the best ramen in the village.”

I grin. Sounds perfect. 

“Ooh, sounds interesting. I’ll be off then. I haven’t had ramen in a really long time and this place sounds like the perfect place to change that.” 

“Wait, is all you’re going to ask?”

Now it's my turn to give him a confused look.

“I did say I only get to ask two questions, and I already used them. So I gotta wait until tomorrow. Bye-bye Kakashi.”

I let my illusion disappear and once it's gone, I shut the window. I look through and see Kakashi startled.

_ ‘Probably not expecting the window to close’ _

Hopefully I’m able to help you before someone finds out where I am. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Killer training*: back in Phoenix's home she is what people called a killer. Killers kill in order to live and they all undergo special training. Phoenix will talk more in detail about it later on.
> 
> Royal Guard prep*: Phoenix is part of the current royal guard that protects the Royal Family. The Royal Guard go through a completely different training regime, making them far more stronger than other Killers. It is a position that she takes great pride in. Her loyalty to the Royal Family is unlimited.
> 
> Timeline*: the Royal Family keeps eyes on all the different types of dimensions and a timeline is the natural progression of the dimension without outside interference.


	6. Ramen and New Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We have two special guests in this chapter. Can you guess who?
> 
> Hope I wrote them well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated from now on will happen when I'm able to actually sit down be able to write. But worry not I won't abandoned this fic.

_ ‘I should have asked Kakashi where Ichiraku is located.’ _

I spend most of the day just wandering around. There isn’t much I can do. If it wasn’t for the fact that I promised Kakashi I wouldn't cause trouble and I want to attract attention, I most likely would have caused some mayhem. So to kill time, I explored every nook and cranny around the edge of the village until it got dark. It’s always good to know your way around a new place.

_ ‘Especially if you need to suddenly make an exit.’ _

I’ve been searching for ten minutes now and although I don’t get hungry anymore, I still like to enjoy a warm meal on cold nights. Though the cold doesn’t affect me either, that doesn’t mean I don’t dislike it. 

I let out a breath and kept searching, jumping from roof to roof. As I am about to give up and ask someone for directions, I spot a little shop with a lit lantern. I grin as I realize what’s written on it. I make myself invisible, jump to the back of the shop, and create an illusion of some random villager. Making myself visible, I walk to the front of the shop and sit down on one of the stools. 

“Welcome! What can I get you?” Kindly asked a man, whom I’m presuming to be the owner.

I pretend to ponder over it.

“How about the chef’s special?”

The man gives me a big smile. “Chef’s special it is!”

I patiently wait for my food and when it arrives, I take a deep breath to take in the aroma. 

_ ‘It smells absolutely wonderful!’ _

I put my hands together, “Thank you for the food!”

I dig in. As I’m eating, a couple comes to sit down. I look over and notice the blond guy that was with Kakashi when I first met him, with someone who has striking long red hair. 

Now, I was going to mind my own business and enjoy my meal, but then I heard Kakashi’s name. So as I was eating, I focused on expanding my hearing range to listen in on their conversation. 

“...has something happened?” 

“Not necessarily, he just seemed really distracted yesterday. It probably has to do with that kunoichi he ran into the other day.”

“Ah, I do remember you telling me about that. From how you described her, I’ve never heard of a clan resembling her.” 

“And that’s another thing, if she’s not from some big clan or a hidden village then, what is she? When I got to Kakashi there were four shinobi dead. They all had their necks slashed open and their position looked like they were killed one after the other. They were given no time to even react.”

They got quiet after that and their food arrived. I was nearly done with mine. The redhead was the one that continued their conversation, what she said next made me freeze. 

“Do you think she could be after Kakashi because of the sharingan? It wouldn’t be the first time he’s been targeted for it.” 

I finished my food, put up an illusion of me giving back my bowl, and ‘villager me’ leaving while making myself invisible. I turned to look at the blond guy and he had a grimace on his face. 

“But then why would she heal him? Not only that, but she asked Kakashi why he’s fighting. She doesn’t know who he is so she couldn’t be after the sharingan. Then again, she could have lied.” 

Seeing that the blond’s mood was worsening the red head switched the topic. I tune them out and sit there. They eventually finish their meal and leave. The night goes and the owner starts to close the shop. I get out of his way and stand there as he leaves as well. I start to shake and it isn’t because of the cold. I can feel my eyes glowing and check that my illusion is still up. Jumping up to a nearby roof, I head back to Kakashi’s place.

_ ‘It all makes sense now. The reason why he has all those traps around his apartment, the reason why he’s always tense, does he think I’m going to take away his eye? No, I’ve told him that I’ll get in trouble if my people found out I was here’  _

I reach Kakashi’s place and study the new traps he’s set up. They're better than the first ones I saw but I could still easily take them apart. Maybe I could give him a few pointers, after all, setting up traps is my thing. Though I don’t think he’ll respond well if I do. 

_ ‘Eh, it doesn’t hurt to ask and he could be intrigued to learn more about me.’  _

I need to find out more about Kakashi’s position in the village. From the conversation between the blonde and the redhead, this ‘sharingan’ Kakashi has is something of high value. Not only that but I think I’ve seen that word before. Mmm… Oh! In the library! There was a book talking about the clans in the village, one of them being the Uchiha Family, who have an eye thing called the sharingan. However, the book didn’t go much into detail about it.

_ ‘Must be a family secret then, but that doesn’t explain why Kakashi has it. I’m pretty sure he’s not an Uchiha. But if he’s not an Uchiha then the only other way for Kakashi to have it is…’ _

“I don’t like where this is going.” I sigh out-loud. “Ugh!”

I cover my mouth and then let out a groan. What kind of fucked up village is this? I know I promised Kakashi I wouldn’t cause any trouble, but these people are really making it hard for me to control myself!

Well, there’s no use in fretting over it, I have to make sure Kakashi is safe. That’s what should take priority along with making sure I don’t get caught. If Mr. Royal * and Mistress Mystica* find out I’m sure they won’t be too mad. After all, I'm a protecting child. It’s best they don’t know... for now. 

I go lay down on Kakashi’s roof.

_ ‘You should count yourself lucky Kakashi, you got yourself a Royal Guard _ _ *  _ _ protecting you.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Royal and Mistress Mystica* are Phoenix's bosses. She looks up to them both greatly and her keeping this away from them could have others question her loyalty to them. 
> 
> Royal Guards* are a big deal from where Phoenix comes from. They are the elite of their kind and Phoenix is part of the second group to ever become Royal Guards. Her team is called The Collective Four.


	7. Friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter, yay! I hope y'all like.
> 
> My anonymous friend helped with the editing. So please give them thanks.

I had just finished eating when I heard Phoenix knock on my window. Phoenix patiently waits as I head to open the window. Letting her in, she floats over to my couch, her feet slightly above the ground because that's what people normally do when you invite them in. Instead of sitting on the couch like I thought she was going to do she instead sits on the floor with her legs cross. It’s a very open position not very different from her usual stance. Though, there’s something off about her. Aside from the obvious.

She looks around the apartment with a worried gaze. Did she do something? Did someone see her? 

“ _ So,  _ I went to Ichiraku and I gotta say the food was,” She does a chef’s kiss gesture. 

She gives me a smile but I can see that it’s forced. I’m pretty sure my suspicion shows on my face because next she says,

“What’s up, Kakashi? Something bugging you?” 

“You’re acting off.”

She gasps dramatically and makes an offended face. 

“Kakashi, you’ve known me for less than three days yet you seem to believe to know me well enough to call me out for acting weird.” 

I shift my weight and clench my fists. I look away from her, my checks feeling slightly warm.

“Well… you are being weird!”

‘ _ Great came back, Kakashi’ _

“You’re avoiding looking at me and you’re tense. Every other moment I’ve seen you, you’ve been so carefree and left yourself open without care. So, yeah. It’s just a very sudden change.”

Her expression changes to something neutral and then she looks a little guilty. She bits her lip and starts to inspect the wall. Now it’s her turn to explain herself. 

“I… well I-I might’ve overheard something about you while I was at Ichiraku’s.”

“Oh. That’s it? Eh, whatever you heard about me is probably true.”

My response only serves to make her tense up even more and her eyes glow for a second before they dim down again. 

“Anyways! I’ve thought of something we can do together. I thought that simply seeing each other once every day for just a question seems boring so how about I teach you how to set traps? Because I have to say yours” she gives me a pinched look, “are okay at best.” 

Her sudden change in mood and tone nearly gave me whiplash. Wait, did she just insult my traps? 

“Well, when would you plan on teaching me? I have things to do.”

Phoenix’s face changes but it's gone too quickly for me to decipher what it means. 

“I can't be in my apartment all day to learn how to set new traps. People will notice and come by to check on me.”

The only people who would notice his absence would be Minato and Guy but she doesn’t need to know that. Though, this could actually be helpful in making a trap for  _ her _ . After all, if she’s easily finding out ways to disarm my traps maybe I can modify one of her traps with one of my own. I might be able make something she can’t break out of. 

“Well, luckily for us I have just the solution for that problem,” she reaches for something behind her back and pulls out a white disk-like thing with a timer on it. It’s small, a little bigger than the size of her palm, it looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Where the hell did she pull that out of?

“This right here is a little special device from where I’m from. You can consider it some type of clock, and by clock * I mean that I can set a certain amount of time into it. Then place it on a wall or any surface and time will continue as normal here, everywhere else will be slowed down by the desired amount. For example, I could set it up for one hour by five minutes. Meaning, that while for us an hour would pass, for everyone else outside of this apartment only five minutes would pass. Now, you should consider yourself fortunate to know such a thing exists.” 

I give her a dumbstruck look, “How does that even work?”

She shrugs her shoulders, “I don’t know. I didn’t invent the thing.”

I can’t really tell if she’s being serious or not about not knowing. It’s a very convenient tool, too good to be true, but if it’s not true then it's a very outlandish farce. 

“So does that mean that we could spend days here while outside it's not even noon yet?” I try to keep my tone neutral but I can’t help some disbelief from slipping through. 

“Maybe not a whole day in such little time,” she looks to be rethinking the whole situation and starts to think out loud, “you’re far too young and have no prep to handle the time distance. And the prep would take up most of the time I would rather use to teach you new, and better, traps.” 

“You don’t have to teach me anything. After all, my traps work well enough to keep everybody else out and if you’re honest about not hurting anyone in the village-” I ignore her cry of ‘I am being honest!’ “-then I don’t have to worry about you hurting me.” 

_ ‘Though I don’t trust her at all, if she wanted to hurt me she would have done so already.’  _

She lets out a sigh. This really bothers her…

“Look I'm fine within the village and it's not really a problem when I go on missions.” 

She looks like she wants to say something else but decides not to. 

“Whatever. Do you have a question you want to ask me?” As she talks she throws the clock behind her and I see it disappear.  _ ‘Interesting but also what the hell was the point of bringing up the device. She makes absolutely no sense. Is she doing it on purpose?’  _

“You mention that you were somewhere else before coming to this village. What were you supposed to do in the other place?

“Oh that, I was sent there to make friends. It's a requirement that I make friends outside of my team but honestly it was just a waste of my time. Call it a… conflict of interests. But, there was no way I would have made friends there. I just hope that when I return, I get called back and never try to make friends again.”

_ ‘Why would that be a requirement? Is it a diplomatic thing?’ _

“Friends?”

She just gives me a nod. Right, one question per day. I sigh internally. At this rate I’ll never get anything useful out of her. 

“Now it's my turn!” I get a little worried. She sounds a little too excited to ask a question and has a far too innocent look.

“Do  _ you  _ have any friends?” 

“No.”

“Whaaaat? You answered that way too quickly.” Phoenix gives me a suspicious look and points a finger at me. I turn my face away from her. 

“It's true. I don’t have any friends.” 

“Not even teammates?” I look back at her and raise my eyebrow.

“One question a day,” I reminded her. 

“Ugh.” 

Glad to know she’s also struggling with our arrangement. 

“Alright fine, either way you should build connections. They’re good to have.” She gets up and heads toward the windows, walking right through it and the wall. Then turns around and shuts it before disappearing. 

What was even the point of… never mind. Now I know she can go through walls. Unless that was an illusion, which again, why would she do that? So far all I get is more questions than answers. I need to ask Minato-sensei if he heard anything from the Hokage about other shinobi like her. Maybe I should look into seals that could help me trap her. With that in mind I go out and start my day. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clocks*: This item is a bit random but it is frequently used by others like Phoenix and I hope to show same of Phoenix thinking process. 
> 
> Also if the function of the device still doesn't make sense, please let me know, I'll edit the author's note and add a more in-depth description of how it works
> 
> Please leave a comment/kudos!

**Author's Note:**

> B-pockets* are little pockets in time and space that the people from where Phoenix is from use to store stuff. Usually they surround a person and anything can fit in them but only one item can be stored in one pocket.
> 
> What Phoenix means by communicate* is that she is a telepath and can read people's minds as well as communicate with them through transferring thoughts to another person. Though she has been trained not to do this without permission unless of course it's an enemy.


End file.
